1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to human-computer interaction technology, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for password authentication.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of computer and network technology, information security gets increasingly important. For example, many operations require users to login before execution. Password authentication is a login security mechanism that has been applied widely. A user is allowed to perform subsequent actions only after inputting a correct password. The password consists of English letters, Arabic numerals and/or other characters. The user can input the password by means of an input device like a keyboard. Alternatively, there have been proposed solutions of using a virtual keyboard to input a password. The virtual keyboard is an interactive tool drawn on a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface) and having operable buttons for users to input characters. Some solutions further allow users to input on a user interface predefined graphics or paths as passwords.
In the above traditional password authentication mechanism, the password faces the risk of being stolen by other person. For example, a malicious third party might invade a computer system used by a user and install Trojans. Such Trojans illegally record, propagate or use a password inputted by the user via a user interface. In addition, a malicious third party might mount an image/video capture device like a camera or a video camera on a terminal device such as an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) and the like. These devices can record the sequence that a user presses keys and thereby obtains a password inputted by the user. For another example, a password inputted by a user might be overseen and recorded by a bystander, which leads to the password exposure.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a more secure password authentication mechanism, which allows a user to type in a password in a more secure manner without prejudicing the convenience and efficiency of user interaction.